Table Talk
by singersongwriter
Summary: Oliver spends some quality time with his dad and shares what's on his heart and mind.
1. Chapter 1

_I started this little piece back in April but never found the time to finish it. Today's Alameda & Downing post combined with a gentle nudge from Inkling Muse about writing again made me want to go back and look at it again. I don't think it really fits in with what we know will actually happen in the upcoming movies, but it's sort of in the same spirit of Chandel's predictions that she posted today. Anyway - reviews are always appreciated. I hope you like it._

Oliver had wanted to kiss her forever - every time she shot him that smirk or flashed that beautiful smile that stretched not just across her face but to her very soul. The timing had never been right though for a variety of reasons. He was married. Then he was recently separated. Then recently divorced. Then there was Steve. Then there was the question of whether or not they were really on the same page. Oddly enough it was almost easier to accept their mutual physical attraction early on in their acquaintance than now. Now there was so much more on the line.

They weren't just colleagues anymore; they were friends. In fact, she was his best friend, and even though they had been on several dates since Valentine's Day, they had still done nothing to keep them from being able to backtrack to friendship. Kissing her would cross that line. Kissing her would put him in a position of potentially losing her forever if it didn't work out. Kissing her would make it impossible for him to pretend that he had never really cared that much anyway if she decided to leave.

This internal struggle had been on his mind all Saturday afternoon as he worked at his father's home. They were building a dining table together - one of many father/son projects they had tackled over the past year as they worked to rebuild their relationship. Joseph O'Toole knew his son was distracted, and he'd given him several hours to volunteer what was on his heart, but he finally asked when Oliver had measured the same board 10 times.

"What's on your mind son?"

"Sir?" Oliver barely even looked up from the tape measure.

"I asked you what is on your mind. You seem to be struggling with the basics a bit today. That's a 6 foot board. We knew it when we bought it. Yet you continue to measure it, so something obviously is bothering you, and I'm not exactly sure it's safe to let you use power tools when you are this distracted."

Oliver raised his head about halfway through Joe's speech and realized he'd been caught. The smile on his father's face was both reassuring and a little annoying. It's funny how even after all the time they spent apart, his dad was still able to read him so well. Joe continued.

"Look, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want want to, but you know I'm here for you. I'm happy to listen."

Oliver sighed, set down the tape measure, and sat down on one of the stools they had placed next to their workspace.

"I don't even know where to start," he said with a voice filled with exhaustion.

"Is it Shane?" Joe offered with a grin and a knowing look that once again made Oliver wonder if his father had some type of clairvoyant powers. He thought for a fleeting moment about trying to skirt the issue but realized he could really use some advice. His father seemed to know everything already anyway.

"Yes. I just - I don't know how to - I'm afraid that - oh I don't know." Oliver gave up. The words just wouldn't come. It seemed like the words he loved so much always abandoned him when he was confused or upset. He rubbed his temples with his fingers and stared at the ground willing his father to just know what he needed to say without any further cues.

"You love her don't you?" Joe's response was a statement more than a question, but he waited for Oliver to answer anyway.

"More than I can express." There was something uplifting about finally saying that out loud, and Oliver's eyes found his father's.

"Then that's all you need to know," his dad responded. Oliver tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow to indicate that he didn't understand. "Son, this world is full of terrible things to try to avoid. Love isn't one of them. And if you love her, like I know you do, then don't try to hide from it. Take a chance."

"But, what if-" Oliver started, but his dad cut him off.

"That's right. 'What if.' 'What if' she feels the same way? 'What if' she is ready to take that step too? 'What if' you haven't even begun to experience the joy that a life with Shane can bring you? 'What if' works both ways, son."

Oliver had never really thought of it that way. He had focused so much on the possibility of losing her and being hurt again. The idea that if he didn't fully commit to this relationship he would miss out on an entirely different set of "what ifs" made his heart constrict. He knew his father was right.

"For what it's worth," Joe continued, "I've seen the way she looks at you. I don't think you're taking much of a risk."

Oliver grinned slightly and looked back at the ground before replying.

"Really?"

"Really. Now. Can we finish this table before the sun goes down? I believe you were supposed to be helping me today." Joe smiled brightly, and picked up his tools again, happy to know his words had brought some peace to his son's mind.

Oliver stood up and found his tape measure. "This is a 6 foot board, you know," he said over his shoulder to his father.

"Yes. I think I remember that." Joe responded with a laugh.

Oliver was ready to take that next step, and he was hoping to do so as soon as possible. Finishing the table before the sun went down sounded like a good idea to him too. After all, he was hoping to spend some time later that evening on a front porch swing with a beautiful blonde angel.


	2. Chapter 2

_I had zero intention of writing a continuation of this when I published the first part a couple weeks ago. It's hard to feel like you have this right when you're putting the characters in a position in which you have never seen them. That said, this is all fun and games right?_

Shane was surprised to hear the doorbell ring. She wasn't expecting anyone, and it was already after 8 o'clock. If it had been a work day she might have already been in her pajamas, but she was completely comfortable on the couch in her jeans and floral print cotton shirt. She placed her iPad on the coffee table and walked to the door. A quick glance at the peep hole revealed Oliver standing with his arms resting behind his back on her front porch. She swiveled around to look at the mirror on the opposite wall to make sure she looked presentable after her evening of binge-watching, and then, satisfied enough with her appearance, turned to open the door.

Oliver heard the sound of the doorknob and tried to swallow the nerves that leapt into his throat. In his head, he repeated the words his father had told him earlier that day: "Don't try to hide...take a chance." It did little to calm him though. This was exciting and terrifying all at the same time, but he had little time to think further before the door opened wide and revealed Shane's smiling face.

"Oliver! This is a surprise. What brings you here?" Shane asked, keenly aware of the fact that the last sentence was yet another phrase she was borrowing from him. She really wished Rita and Norman hadn't mentioned that habit to her. It was making her self-conscious.

Oliver returned the smile and responded, "Well. My father and I finished our project, and I thought I would stop by on my way home." He hesitated for a moment before continuing, and Shane narrowed her eyes. She always knew when he had something more to say.

"Is everything okay?" she asked trying hard not to be distracted by his more casual mode of dress that indicated a day of woodworking.

"Of course. I just...I was hoping to talk to you for a bit. Perhaps we could sit on the swing?" he asked with a gentle tilt of his head in the direction of the white porch swing that hung a few steps away.

"Sure," Shane replied as she stepped out onto the porch and pulled the door closed behind her. Oliver allowed her to sit first and then found his place beside her. He stared forward for a few moments while he rocked the swing with his feet. Shane didn't know exactly what he wanted to say, but she also knew it wasn't the right time to rush him. Instead she opted to ask him about his day.

"You and your father were working on a dining table right? How did that go?"

"Oh. Fine." Oliver responded. Shane could tell his mind was someplace else, and she didn't bother to ask another question. She had learned over time that he would start when he was ready. They sat there in silence with only the sound of the insects filling the night air until Oliver finally found his nerve.

"Ms. McInerney," he began, his tone low, "I need you to know something."

"Okay..." Shane said as she looked into his eyes for a sign about where this conversation was going.

"I'm not perfect. I've told you that previously. I believe you even called me a 'human antique' once." Oliver smiled as he said that, and Shane couldn't help but giggle a bit herself. Oliver continued. "I get a little caught up in protocol and procedure. I tend to shun technological advances. I can fixate so much on doing the right thing that I don't do anything at all."

Oliver reached out and took her hand in his to steel himself for what could be the most important words he had uttered in his life to this point. "But Shane, I refuse to be frozen when it comes to what I feel is happening between us. I want to make sure you know that my feelings for you go far beyond friendship - although I admit you are the best friend I've ever known, and that friendship means so much to me. So, if you don't feel the same, then I'll -"

Shane cut him off by placing her right hand on his cheek and looking straight into his soul. "I absolutely feel the same way," she responded.

They both smiled brightly, thrilled that this final wall had been crumbled, and Oliver let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. He had taken the leap and made it to the other side, and Shane was right there with him. She was a little surprised at her lack of hesitation in responding to him. After all, her own fears about pursuing a relationship had contributed to the snail's pace they were taking just as much as his had, but something about his resolve and willingness to be vulnerable erased all semblance of doubt from her mind.

Oliver gently rubbed his thumb over the back of Shane's hand, and glanced from Shane's eyes to her lips and then back up again. "I would very much like to kiss you now, Ms. McInerney."

Shane's smile somehow widened even more, and she glanced down at their joined hands. It was so much like Oliver, she thought, to ask permission even after they had both admitted their feelings for each other. She closed the distance between the two of them to give him no doubt of her answer.


End file.
